India has scripted history at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026, securing a clean sweep of five gold medals and sharing the world's top rank with global scientific powerhouses including China, Russia, Kazakhstan, South Korea and Taiwan. The remarkable achievement marks one of India's best-ever performances at the prestigious international competition and highlights the country's growing excellence in STEM education and scientific talent development.

Held in Bucaramanga, Colombia, the 2026 edition of the International Physics Olympiad brought together 381 students from 87 countries, with each participating nation allowed to field a team of up to five students. Every member of the Indian contingent won a gold medal after excelling in both the theoretical and experimental rounds of the competition.

The five Indian gold medallists are:

• Kanishk Jain (Pune, Maharashtra)
• Riddhesh Anant Bendale (Indore, Madhya Pradesh)
• Rishit Garg (Delhi)
• Shresth Suraiya (Mumbai, Maharashtra)
• Svait Joshi (Ahmedabad, Gujarat)

The International Physics Olympiad, conducted annually since 1967, is regarded as one of the world's most prestigious science competitions for high school students. Participants are assessed through challenging theoretical and laboratory-based examinations that test conceptual understanding, analytical ability and experimental skills.

The Indian team earned its place at the Olympiad after successfully clearing a rigorous national selection process conducted by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) under the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). The selected students then underwent months of intensive preparation, including advanced physics lectures, laboratory training, problem-solving sessions and mock examinations under the guidance of leading physicists.

The contingent was led by Professor Anwesh Mazumdar (HBCSE-TIFR), Dr. Leena Joshi, Professor Ananda Dasgupta (IISER Kolkata) and Ms. Nisha Kelkar, whose mentorship played a key role in the team's outstanding performance.

India's perfect medal tally reinforces the country's growing reputation in global science education and reflects the success of its Olympiad training ecosystem. The achievement is expected to inspire more students to pursue careers in physics, research and innovation while strengthening India's position among the world's leading nations in international science competitions.

Over the past decade, India has consistently improved its performance in global Olympiads across disciplines such as physics, mathematics, chemistry, astronomy and informatics. The record-breaking performance at IPhO 2026 further underscores the country's expanding pool of young scientific talent and its long-term commitment to building a knowledge-driven, innovation-led future.